


Beep Beep

by orphan_account



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Driving, M/M, y'all played psyche taxi idk why we're all pretending shuichi is a good driver
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 21:01:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20880617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: For the Amami Week Day 6 prompt: vehicle/found, though this focuses more on vehicle than found i guess.





	Beep Beep

The weather is finally cool enough that Shuichi doesn’t immediately say no when Rantaro suggests eating their lunch outside. Sitting by the fountain, Rantaro momentarily closes his eyes and enjoys the early fall temperatures. “This is your favorite time of year, isn’t it?”

Shuichi takes a sip of his bottled tea and nods. “Any season is better than summer, though.”

Rantaro rolls his eyes, already having heard more than enough about the horrors of hot weather with an all-black wardrobe. “Summer isn’t that bad, you know.” Still, that’s a playful argument that they’ve had more than a few times, so he changes the subject as he pops a grape into his mouth. “Any weekend plans?”

Shuichi finishes chewing a bite of his sandwich before replying. “Yes, actually. There’s this new bookstore I’ve been meaning to check out. I've heard pretty good things about it, so I figured I’d go tomorrow.” He pauses, and then hesitantly asks, “If you’re not busy, did you want to go with me?”

Rantaro doesn’t even need to consider it before he answers. “Sure, that sounds nice. Where is it?”

“It’s a town over from us; I was planning on driving there. Is that okay? I know you don’t like cars.”

That’s true; when he can help it he prefers forms of transportation that are less harmful to the environment like walking or, of course, taking a boat ride, though that’s less practical. However, Rantaro feels a bit guilty for not spending much time with Shuichi lately.

Since finding his oldest sister Yukiko, he’s admittedly been visiting her pretty often. It’s a bit like he’s afraid she’ll disappear again if he doesn’t check on her, but he also genuinely likes being around her. They’re the closest in age, and she’s just so smart and funny, it’s like hanging out with a friend more than a sibling. Not to mention with the years spent away from each other, he feels like he needs to learn everything about her all over again. Still, that leaves him even less time to hang out with his boyfriend between school and searching for his other sisters as well. 

“It’s not the end of the world if I have to ride in one for an hour or two. Besides, I doubt taking a boat there is an option.” Rantaro jokes and bumps his shoulder against Shuichi’s. “It’ll be fine.”

Shuichi bites his lip and watches Rantaro’s face for a moment longer before smiling. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

“Alright, it's a date,” Rantaro replies, and that’s that as far as he’s concerned. 

-

When classes are over, Kaede stops Rantaro on his way out of the school, smile bright as she intercepts him. “Hey Rantaro, can I ask you for a favor?”

“I guess that depends on what it is,” he replies, though he knows he’s probably going to say yes considering it’s Kaede. “What’s up?”

“I’m going on a date with Tsumugi later and I can’t decide what to wear. Normally I’d just ask her, but I can’t in this case. You’re pretty fashionable though, so could I get your opinion?” 

Rantaro shrugs, but he smiles back at her. “I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but sure. What are your options?”

That, of course, leads to him being tugged along to Kaede’s room so she can throw every item in her closet onto her bed for him to inspect and declare it’s worth in this endeavor, a process that takes more time than he’d honestly been expecting it to. Eventually, he’s able to help her narrow down her choices to a dark purple dress or a floral top with a pink skirt, which is where Kaede throws herself onto her bed in frustration. 

“Ugh, why is this so difficult?” She groans, kicking her legs. Rantaro can’t help but chuckle at her ordeal. “We’ve been dating for three months now, why do I still get nervous over things like this?”

“I think it’s pretty normal to stress a bit over impressing your date.” Rantaro comments. “Are you sure you don’t want to wear the skirt?”

Another muffled groan before Kaede lifts her head to glare at Rantaro. “I bet you never get like this before you go on dates with Shuichi.”

Rantaro leans back on his elbows on the bed, thinking about his response before answering. “Maybe not to this extent, but it can still feel like I don’t know what I’m doing sometimes. I don’t necessarily worry about wearing the right thing so much as I do about saying the right thing.”

At that, Kaede smiles a little and rolls onto her back. “It’s the opposite for me, but I guess that’s because you like to bottle everything up inside, right?” With a sigh, Kaede holds up the pink skirt. “Maybe I should wear the skirt. I just worry it’s too similar to my uniform, you know?”

“The dress might be too much depending on where you guys are going, though. Besides, pink is your color.”

Kaede considers the outfit for a moment longer before nodding to herself and smiling. “Yeah. Yeah! This is what I’m going to wear. Thanks, Rantaro. I owe you.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Maybe next time I go on a date with Shuichi you can tell me via earpiece what to say, though,” he jokes. 

Kaede laughs shortly as she gets to work collecting all her clothes and putting them back in her closet. “Yeah, because that always goes well in tv shows. My advice is to just not bring up BBC Sherlock. He’s still not over how it ‘totally destroyed Irene’s character’ and ‘is the reason why the world doesn’t deserve good things’ or something like that.”

Rantaro shudders momentarily as he recalls the time he’d suggested they try it out one night when looking for new shows to watch. Rantaro wasn’t even sure he knew what Shuichi was talking about through half of his rant, and by the end of it, they’d just watched Brooklynn Nine-Nine reruns until he’s stopped seething. 

“Oh, speaking of Shuichi, he said you two are going to a bookstore tomorrow?”

At the mention, Rantaro perks up. “Oh, yeah, some new one he wanted to check out. I’ve been trying to read more anyway, so I thought it’d be nice to look for books together. He offered to drive since it’s out of town and-”

Rantaro stops when he sees Kaede’s expression, one of fear and concern. “Uh, Kaede?”

“Oh, sorry, just… Shuichi’s driving?”

Rantaro blinks, not sure what to make of the reaction. “Yeah? Is that a problem?”

Kaede seems like she’s going to say something for a second, but then she closes her eyes and shakes her head, laughing a little. “No, no of course not. I mean, I’ve only ridden with Shuichi once when he drove me to a concert at the beginning of the year but… I mean it’s probably fine.” Then, under her breath. “I mean… he’s probably gotten better since then.”

“What was that?” Rantaro asks. 

Kaede hurriedly finishes putting her clothes away before all but shoving Rantaro out of her room. “Nothing! Thanks for the help, have a great time tomorrow and try not to die!”

“Try not to- Kaede, what-?” he whirls around just in time for her to slam the door shut. 

-

Admittedly, the conversation with Kaede had thrown Rantaro a bit. It’s just strange is all, but Rantaro wouldn’t say he’s worried. He trusts Shuichi after all, and Kaede had said it was nothing anyway. Still, he found it a little odd, all things considered, though he was ready to let it go as he headed to the dining hall where Kokichi waited impatiently, a tea set laid out before him.

“Jeez, it sure took you long enough! If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were avoiding me,” Kokichi says as Rantaro takes a seat across from him. “What a sad life I lead, scorned by my beloved Rantaro at the zenith of our sordid affair!”

“None of those things is true,” Rantaro replies easily. “Anyway, I’m sorry for being late. I was helping Kaede with something.”

Kokichi pours himself a cup of tea, face impassive. “Oh, I know. Tsumugi was just here ranting about normies again, so it wasn’t hard to figure out.”

Rantaro decides not to dignify that with a response as he pours himself a cup of tea. At least, he hopes it’s tea this time, but Kokichi has been known to boil Gatorade and call it a day. Not one to let the silence linger, Kokichi goes on. “You know, tomorrow I’m going to fill Kaito’s bed with fire ants. You wanna help?”

Rantaro hesitantly sips his tea, pleased to find that’s what it actually is before he answers. “Where are you going to get the fire ants from?”

Kokichi grins, nearly knocking over his cup in his haste to reach across the table for a cookie. “Gonta, obviously. But hey, that wasn’t a no! Does that mean you will? It’d be nice to have someone willing to put in the work for once. Nobody here has any real work ethic.”

Considering the school they attend, Rantaro knows that couldn’t be further from the truth, but he humors Kokichi a little longer. “I wish I could, but I’m hanging out with Shuichi tomorrow. Maybe you should do something else in the meantime, huh?”

Kokichi looks like he’s considering it for a moment as he eats before he shrugs. “I mean, I _guess_ I could annoy Miu instead, maybe turn everything in her lab upside down. Oh! That’s a good idea!” Kokichi cackles. “What are you doing with Shuichi tomorrow anyway? Are you guys gonna elope?”

“We’re going to a bookstore,” Rantaro starts, but Kokichi interrupts him to fake a yawn. 

“Wow, you two are super boring. A bookstore? What kind of date is that?” 

Rantaro shrugs, unbothered by Kokichi’s attitude. “I think it’ll be fun. Besides, I’m always traveling outside of Japan, I think it’ll be nice to go somewhere I haven’t been without leaving the country for once.”

Kokichi shakes his head. “If you say so. Have fun with public transportation and getting lost.”

“I don’t get lost that often,” Rantaro objects. “Besides, Shuichi is driving, so it’ll be up to him to make sure we stay on track.”

“Oh,” Kokichi says simply, and then his expression is filled with delight. “He is?”

Rantaro figures he has two options here. He can pretend he didn’t notice Kokichi’s sudden interest, or he can see what he knows about Kaede’s earlier reaction. Realistically, he knows he probably shouldn’t encourage his behavior, but on the other hand, he’s still a little curious about earlier. “Yeah. Kaede asked about that, too.”

Kokichi laughs and rests his head in his hands, tilting his head slightly. “That’s weird! Probably just a coincidence, though. Shuichi drove me to the store the other day, and you know what? He’s an amazing driver!”

Okay, so that’s a lie. Right? 

“Just kidding! He almost hit an old lady that was crossing the street! I had to grab the wheel and swerve just to keep him from being convicted of vehicular manslaughter. Imagine that- a detective getting arrested. He’s not even a part of my organization, either, so I’d have no qualms about letting him rot in prison.” Kokichi goes on, tone even like he’s talking about the weather. 

Rantaro blinks in surprise before he manages to reply. “That didn’t happen.”

Kokichi nods. “Yep, you’re right. He drove two miles under the speed limit and yelled at me for changing the radio station. It’s not my fault he has no taste in music.” Then, he shrugs and examines his nails, seemingly done with the conversation. “But, that’s a lie. He let me pick the music.”

-

The rest of the day had passed with little incident, and while for the most part, Rantaro was able to hold his curiosity at bay, he couldn’t help it when the nighttime announcement left him lying in bed overthinking Kokichi’s words. It would be easy to dismiss it as Kokichi just being himself and trying to unnerve Rantaro, but coupled with Kaede’s reaction, it was kind of beginning to make him rethink this trip. Not in the sense that he wasn’t going to go through with it, but more like he was excited to see what the fuss was about. Surely, Shuichi couldn’t be that bad at driving.

The next day, after breakfast, Angie stops Rantaro on his way to the parking lot to meet Shuichi. 

“Hi, Rantaro! Are you busy right now? I was hoping you would model for me again,” Angie begins, launching straight into her request. “You’re very good at staying still!”

“Thank you,” he says because it seems like the things to say. “But I’m sorry, I’m actually about to leave. I’m going on a day trip with Shuichi.”

Angie tilts her head, her smile bright. “Shuichi is driving?”

Rantaro doesn’t even bother asking how she knows that. He nods. 

“I will pray for you,” she says, and with that, skips off in the direction of the school. 

Shuichi’s waiting beside a black car that looks a little too expensive for a high school student to be driving, and he smiles warmly when he notices Rantaro. “Are you ready to go?”

After a second of indecision, Rantaro says, “Yeah, let’s go,” heart beginning to pick up the pace as they both get in the car and fasten their seatbelts. When Shuichi turns his key in the ignition, loud rap music blares from the stereo, and he hastily turns down the volume. 

“Sorry, Kokichi was the last one to pick the music. You can play whatever you want, though.”

At first, everything is fine. The drive through town is pretty standard, and Shuichi demonstrates a strong understanding of safety and traffic regulation laws. Rantaro begins to relax and resign himself to sitting through a couple of hours of staring out the window as they make their way to the outskirts of town. 

And then, Shuichi misses a stop sign. 

Rantaro almost doesn’t say anything about it at first. He’s not even sure if it was real for a moment, and there wasn’t any other cross-traffic to speak of. “Uh, was- did you see that stop sign?”

“Hm?” Shuichi hums. “Yeah, don’t worry, I slowed down.”

Oh. Oh, no. 

The moment they’ve made it out of town, the speedometer gradually rises until it’s a full 30 over the speed limit, and steadily climbing whenever the road straightens out. A glance at Shuichi reveals nothing, as he looks as calm and composed as can be as he swerves into the oncoming lane. 

“Shuichi- what-”

“Sorry, just trying to pass this guy,” he apologizes, and when Rantaro looks over at the station wagon they’ve just passed, a balding old man is staring, mouth agape as they return to the correct lane. 

Rantaro isn’t sure how he manages to survive the next forty-five minutes Shuichi nearly ends their lives a total of fifteen different times, all while casually mumbling along to the lyrics of the Billie Eilish song playing on the radio. 

By the time they’ve reached the bookstore, Rantaro can barely stand when he exits the car, knees wobbly as he adjusts to the suddenness of staying completely still. “Oh my God.”

Shuichi intertwines their fingers and gently pulls him towards the shop. “I know, it’s a lot bigger than I expected.”

Rantaro’s heart is slowly returning to a healthy pace as he stumbles along. “Hey, would it be alright if I drove us back?”

Shuichi tilts his head. “I didn’t know you had your license.”

He doesn’t. He does have a little-used permit though, and that’s all it takes. “Ha. Yeah.”

Shuichi shrugs. “Sure, if you want to. You won’t mind if I just read on the way back, then?” Rantaro shakes his head, maybe a touch too forcefully. “Well, okay then. Now let’s go inside, I’m ready to see if this place lives up to its hype.”

**Author's Note:**

> [shows up months later with a prompt that's a day late] happy birthday rantaro you wild son of a gun. also, look me in the eyes and tell me kokichi doesn't listen to bhad bhabie. you can't.


End file.
